Sunny&80A Prayer for God’s Direction
Posted on April 2, 2019
“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.” 1 Corinthians 16: 13-14 (NLT)
Direction, “a purpose or orientation toward a goal that serves to guide or motivate,” has an inevitable flow in our lives. In consideration of our daily direction, the above verse from Romans aligns our internal compass with the One who breathes strength and purpose into the very muscles that compel us.
The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible states that,“conclusions sometimes summarized key points in a work; love is once such point.” When we seek direction, does Love have the final say on our propelled steps? In Matthew Henry’s Commentary, he states many reasons the Corinthians were instructed by Paul to “be on guard.” There were people looking to deceive and corrupt their faith, to manipulate their direction. “A Christian is always in danger, and therefore should ever be on the watch,” Henry stated. Even today, we must stay alert to the current status of our life’s direction.
Our direction stems from faith. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to “stand firm in the faith.” Scripture tells us to take captive every thought, and to align all we hear with the truth of the Gospel. Reading Scripture daily builds godly confidence, preventing the propulsion down a path that doesn’t align with His unique purpose for our lives.
A Prayer for Blended Families at Christmas
Posted on December 25, 2018
The formation of blended families is surging in America, with 1300 new stepfamilies forming every day. Sending children away to be the “other” parent can cause worry and unrest, and an emptiness that was once filled with holiday tradition. For others, the welcome addition of God-placed family provides a security and happiness long dreamed of! No matter which side of the spectrum, in a struggle to cope or celebration of union, half the families in the US are remarried or re-coupled.
This is the society that we live in, and we have to find a way to unite in prayer for each other, especially at Christmastime. All families are challenged to maintain an unrealistic amount of patience with difficult family members at Christmastime, but the power of prayer can cut through any awkward situation. No matter how blended we may be, God hears us, He loves us, and embraces us!
A Prayer for Those Going through Divorce at Christmas
Posted on December 23, 2018
Divorce doesn’t have to be the crushing end to all Christmas traditions. Hope does not have to fade as the picturesque view of a familiar life wanes. Christmas is the celebration of the hope Jesus brought into the world with His infant cries.
Hope lives in Jesus-filled hearts.
1. Don’t Let it Define You
Both Christian and agnostic folks have an opinion about the right or wrong of marriages that end in divorce. The holiday season brings them all together and sits them down right in front of you with a stage to speak their truth. Don’t be defined by it.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
When God says He loves you, He loves you. There’s no “if” or “unless” attached.
The Fig Tree (#jammed daily devo, day 315)
Posted on November 11, 2018
November #jammed: Gracious.
Day 315: Thankful for prayer.
“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22
Slumped down on the kitchen floor in a heap of tears, I cried up …
“Why ….I don’t understand …this is so hard …this hurts so much….”
In the depths of my soul, I knew He could hear me and trusted His ways over mine, but life hurts more than my eyes can see past sometimes. Some moments are crushing …and that’s when our faith kicks in.
In today’s verse, Jesus curses a fig tree, and though it has leaves the fruit is no more. There is some theology about the swiftness of judgement that Jesus is illustrating, but today we are going to look at the way Jesus’ encourages His disciples …and us …to have faith and pray.
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. Mark 11:21
Many times we pray but don’t expect God to answer directly. He isn’t always going to, because His direct answers don’t look the same as our expectations. But Jesus tells us to pray as if our mountains will move …and He will move them. Believe that He can, and it will happen.
When we believe in Jesus He begins to grow our line of sight. We’re OK with what we can’t see, and become better at trusting Him. Our prayers become proclamations, when we marinate our minds in His Word. We know He will answer, and aren’t worried about how we think He should. Believing prayer allows room for God to work.
Father, Praise You for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, and thank You for the channel of prayer He opened up for us. Forgive us for our lack of faith …even when we pray. Bless us to trust You more each day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Praying,
Megs
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The Cat Fights (#jammed daily devo, day 220)
Posted on August 8, 2018
August #jammed: Reflecting on Grace.
Day 220: Don’t growl about it.
your mind.’” Matthew 22:37 (NIV)“STOP.”
My dog tried to act like she didn’t hear me.
“Cherry ….” I warned.
“Grrrrrrr……..”
“Quiet!” I yelled. “Get over here and lay down!”
She sauntered over and landed on my feet …with a sarcastic huff as she let out all of the breath she was saving to bark at the cat that torments her from across the street.
It’s all day long, until we move upstairs to go to sleep …where she growls at that cat from the change in scenery. Every once in a while she will jerk me out of a dead sleep to warn that cat not to cross the street. It’s rediculous. And on occasion, she sleeps on the other side of my shut door because of it.
Today’s verse talks about loving God with all that we know how to love Him with. It’s hard to focus Him 24/7. Like my dog is constantly distracted by that cat, we are thrown off by all kinds of calamity throughout our day. There never seems to be enough time. Life goes too fast, except when it’s easy for a minute.
When we are tempted to lose focus, we can simply look up and ask for help. He’s there, waiting to lend a hand in reminder of why we love Him so much. Attention spans are fickle, so we have to keep reeling them in over and over again …and giving them back to Him.
There are a lot of cats across the streets of our minds. Things that temp us to stew and people that we don’t feel like forgiving. There are situations out of our control and delays we don’t understand. Through it all, Christ’s hand reaches down to remind us that we are His.
Father, Praise You for this day and this time to reflect on Your Word. Thank You for Jesus’ grip on our hands. Forgive us for wanting to growl and grimace at life, and help us to stay focused on You and follow Jesus …today, and always. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Praying,
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
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